Author Comments

Hey! Have you heard of the I Like Trains kid?
He's pretty cool, but I think there's something wrong with him
I don't know if he's cursed, or if it's something with his brain
But the only thing he ever says is:

I LIKE TRAINS

From birth the I Like Trains kid never spoke a word
Not even to his parents, not a single sounds was heard
But on the first day of school the teacher asked his name
All he did was smile as he said:

I LIKE TRAINS

They put him on some Ritalin to see if that would help
The doctor found the perfect dose and asked him how he felt
He stared at the doctor with that same creepy smile
And the I Like Trains kid said:

"I feel great!"

He got a fancy job and he straightened out his life
He met a nice girl who he asked to be his wife
As they stood at the altar, and prepared to say their vows
He put a ring on her finger, and he said:

I LIKE TRAINS

Got bad grades? I like trains!
Awkward date? I like trains!
Don't like trains? ...

I LIKE TRAINS (double chorus)

Reviews

Rated 3 / 5 stars2011-10-21 19:34:01

doesn't seem too imaginative

The animation was pretty okay, nothing particularly impressive about the style that's being used in this flash. Some scenes look rushed and undefined. I feel that the whole concept is unimaginative since it's just an extended version of the least funny gag from the asdfmovies. It gets very tiring by the end - just like every other gag that derives its humor from randomness or nonsense (I like trains, I like pie, I like turtles, etc). And of course the whole thing is more predictable than the result of a North Korean election.

Rated 4 / 5 stars2011-10-21 19:33:57

After seeing so many virulent "Robot Chicken" ripoffs on Newgrounds, including the ASDFmovies, it's nice to know that at least one memorable character spawned from it.

This is a Music Video, a rather nonsensical tale about a kid who's only phrase summons a train that obliterates whatever is annoying him. The music is by Todd Bryanton, an electronic ska rock number you can almost hear on Top 40 Radio. The video is a standard "story-of-his-life" epic with black and white characters of such revolting simplicity and plainness as to question the authors' artistic capabilities.

One of the main problems that this sort of video has is its reliance on people who know the origins of the joke. I had only seen the ASS=DUFF MOVIE THREE (or was it four?) where a guy goes "Die Potato" and the Potato's like "NO!" and then this kid shows up and says, "I Like Trains." Yeah, and then the train shows up. It's random, absurd, and doesn't stand on its own (it's good after several other pointless skits, since they build up over time). I don't get the appeal, unless it's just a recurring gag that a few people might notice--out of those who actually go out of their way to watch another edition of ASS-DUFF. In other words, it has very limited appeal.

The second problem with this gig is the sudden inclusion of rainbows. Is this a Nyan Cat revival or a music video with actual class? Neither, apparently. The rainbows' colors don't bother to twirl or rotate smoothly; the color panels themselves blink into each color in a consistent pattern. What this does is mess with the eyes of people with neurological disorders. The lack of a seizure warning in the Author Comments is the quickest, easiest method of preventing a public outcry over health and safety, although other submissions that wish to use a similar rainbow effect ought to just create a circle with slices of color, and then motion tween the thing to rotate. Not all instances of rainbows were damning of course, and the introduction of color adds a whimsical contrast to the standard, if abrasive black-and-white affair of most ASS-DUFF cartoons.

What the video does get right is the catchy song by Todd Bryanton and the superb smoothness of the train animations by Josh Palmer. It's infectious and silly pop with an appropriate video to match. It's also a compact file size, less than 3 MB, almost unheard of for most music videos these days, and the sound quality is slick to match. These three did a superb job at creating a tribute to a ridiculous gag and making something memorable. However, for the music to stand on its own without video accompaniment, sound cues detailing what HAPPENS whenever he says, "I Like Trains" (fast-moving freight trains slamming into people, of course) is almost required for outsiders to get the joke. Finally, put some distance between the end of the music video and the beginning of the brief advertisement; it's almost as if they bleed together as one, and that makes the concept of the music video--a promotional film describing the song and its content as something of a sales pitch--rather redundant.

Good job overall, but there are a few kinks that keep this from being a perfect production.

Rated 5 / 5 stars2011-10-21 19:29:01

OHMYGODIT'SHERE

I've had this bookmarked on Youtube for a while and I just have to say: I love this song so freaking much! This song is pure joy distilled into the form of rainbows and TRAINS! From the well handled lyrics to the perfect pacing, (particularly at the wedding) this song is simply incredible. I can't help but smile every time I hear it.

I was actually rather ambivalent about trains before seeing this, but you, sir, have converted me!

However, the issues with the original video remain. I was really hoping that I could get this song on a loop this time around. Also, PUT YOUR AD ON A PRELOADER AND GET THE F*** OUT AFTERWARDS. Tell us about your shirts before we press play, then loop the rest of it, and you've got yourself a perfect video. Seriously, seeing that ad once made me want to buy a shirt. Seeing it every freakin' time I want to watch the video makes me want to avoid your shop like the plague.

10/10 for the actual content. The subpar video arrangement isn't enough to lose you a point for something this awesome.